The Pirate
By: Amalia Boutrup
“Amalia,” I heard my dad say. I didn’t respond. Why did we have to go home? I just wanted to try the Pirate 1 more time. Okay, so maybe there was a 45 minute line but still! “Amalia, look, I know you’re mad but we’re coming back next year to try again,” he replied calmly. My brother looked at me and started laughing. Why did he have to be so… so EVI? I turned around to face the window. Just minutes ago I was inside Djurs Sommerland trying the Pirate, the world’s 5th best rollercoaster and Denmark’s fastest and tallest.
I wouldn’t have been mad if he hadn’t convinced me to get on. He knew I would NEVER say no to ice cream. It all happened that sunny day when I arrived in the Audi we rented from the airport. I looked up and saw this HUGE rollercoaster I mean it was huge. I saw my dad smile and I knew one way or another he would get me on it. “Let’s try it,” my dad asked, I hesitated a bit and said, “No thanks.” Surprisingly he didn’t say anything else, but I knew it wasn’t over.
When we came back from trying some rides, I saw a grin spread across my dad’s face and turned to see what he was looking at. ICE CREAM! I ran over with my dad and brother trailing behind me. My brother had his usual popsicle and just before I was about to order my dad put his hand on my shoulder and said, “You’re only allowed to get ice cream if you come with me on the Pirate,” I looked and my brother and saw slobbering all over his ice cream. “Okay,” I said quietly as my dad dragged me to the rollercoaster.
We stood in line for like what? 45 minutes. Who wastes 45 minutes of their lives to get on something that lasts for like. Oh, I don’t know 2 minutes! When it was FINALLY our turn to get on my stomach did a little flip flop and I started getting butterflies.
I slowly and carefully got in my seat as the man came around and made sure we were buckled in tight enough. I looked out and saw that it was raining… hard. Just my luck I thought to myself. It was so typically that when it was finally our turn to go on, it started it raining. You could still see the faint outline of the rollercoaster. I got even more nervous. Could be true it was only 62 meters? It looked as if it was 500 meters tall. I turned to my dad to tell him I wanted to get off but then I slowly heard the gears change. Oh no I thought. On the way up the big hill I could hear the gears change. The way up wasn’t the usual slow one it was fast. I hear the carts slow to a stop at the very top and I took in a deep breath while looking around and then suddenly it dropped. I couldn’t scream, I had no air inside of my lungs. It just all got knocked out. The ride continued with the loops and turns until it suddenly slowed to a stop. My dad looked at me expectantly and I shouted “THAT WAS AWESOME… let’s do it again.” My dad looked at me and said “Sorry, we have to go home.” My dad started talking as I snapped out of deep trance. I slowly turned to the window arms folded across my chest and sighed a long, deep, heavy sigh.

THE END